In a game that featured everything, France prevailed with a 4-2 victory over a gritty Croatia team to secure their 2nd ever World Cup Championship. It was the perfect end to what many consider the best World Cup in history; one that was filled with upsets, heart-stopping matches and the rise of new superstars.
For me, this World Cup is one I’ll never forget. It’s the first World Cup that truly grabbed my full attention and passion. My earliest World Cup memory is Zinedine Zidane’s infamous headbutt in the 2006 Final between France and Italy. The next two World Cups, in South Africa and Brazil, I certainly enjoyed, but it was more of a casual fan experience. For this 2018 edition in Russia, I was able to dive in and grasp the beauty of “The Beautiful Game.”
For starters, my brothers, dad and I continued the tradition of filling out the Panini World Cup Album. My family has done this dating back to the 1990 World Cup, but I took more of a leading roll this year in getting stickers as well as filling out the album scores as the tournament went along. I also took charge in filling out a poster with the table results as well as scores for all 64 games. Updating these kept me motivated throughout. Another new aspect of this tournament for me was keeping track of every group, every result and every scenario. Every game mattered to me even if it wasn’t a team I was deeply interested in.
Perhaps the most unique aspect of this World Cup for my family and I was watching games in four different states and in some fascinating places, whether it be in the car driving out of Eugene, Oregon or in the scorching desert of Nevada. One of my favorite memories is waking up at 6:00 a.m. in Las Vegas to watch Iceland, who I fell in love with because of their underdog status, come up with a historic draw against Argentina. My brothers and I watched from our beds in our hotel room, and every moment of that game was nerve-wracking. Argentina controlled the game, but Iceland managed to stay neck-and-neck with a World Cup favorite, and Goalkeeper Alfred Halldorsson provided a monumental moment, stopping Lionel Messi’s penalty kick to preserve the draw. The game alone was outstanding, but it was watching it so early in the morning in Las Vegas that makes it so memorable.
Another incredible memory came in that same Las Vegas hotel room watching our team, Mexico, stun the defending champions Germany. We all went crazy after Chucky Lozano’s winning goal, and when the final whistle finally blew to confirm the victory, the whole Las Vegas strip might have heard our screams. It was a special moment to share as a family.
The tournament for us began on our road trip, but once we arrived back home, I was wide awake every morning at 9:00 am to watch every game I could, from the group stage on through the final. As a lover of history and geography, I sincerely appreciated National Geographic’s coverage with FOX highlighting Russia’s culture and history. I also enjoyed FOX’s commentators and analysts, especially Kelly Smith, Alexi Lalas and Stu Holden. One other highlight of the World Cup was catching all the chaotic reactions in countries as their teams scored. FOX did a great job having cameras in every country for every game.
As I watched trophy ceremony today with the leaders of Croatia, France and Russia all next to each other embracing players and coaches from both teams, I was reminded of the great beauty of the World Cup. Aside from the thrilling games and exciting goals, the World Cup is able to bring the entire world together for a whole month. Political issues are thrown out the window and people fully get behind their flag. Countries that otherwise would never speak are placed on the same field with the same goals, and even after games you see players from opposing teams embrace each other. One can only wish the world could act like that at all times.
Unfortunately, the 2018 World Cup in Russia is now over, but not before creating countless unforgettable memories. Now, we all have to endure an agonizing four years until 2022, when the world will once again come together in Qatar.